महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-277, verse-19

स्वयं मृत्पिण्डभूतस्य परतन्त्रस्य सर्वदा ।
को हेतुः स्वजनं पोष्टुं रक्षितुं वादृढात्मनः ॥१९॥

19. svayaṁ mṛtpiṇḍabhūtasya paratantrasya sarvadā ,
ko hetuḥ svajanaṁ poṣṭuṁ rakṣituṁ vādṛḍhātmanaḥ.

19. svayam mṛtpiṇḍabhūtasya paratantrasya sarvadā kaḥ
hetuḥ svajanaṃ poṣṭuṃ rakṣituṃ vā adṛḍhātmanaḥ

19. svayam mṛtpiṇḍabhūtasya paratantrasya sarvadā
adṛḍhātmanaḥ kaḥ hetuḥ svajanaṃ poṣṭuṃ vā rakṣituṃ

19. What is the purpose of nourishing or protecting one's own people for someone who is himself like a lump of clay (i.e., mortal), always dependent, and possesses an unsteady mind (ātman)?

Words meanings summery:

• स्वयम् (svayam) - oneself, by oneself

• मृत्पिण्डभूतस्य (mṛtpiṇḍabhūtasya) - of one who has become a lump of clay, of a mortal being

• परतन्त्रस्य (paratantrasya) - of one who is dependent on others, of a dependent person

• सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always, at all times

• कः (kaḥ) - who, what

• हेतुः (hetuḥ) - reason, cause, motive, purpose

• स्वजनं (svajanaṁ) - one's own people, relatives

• पोष्टुं (poṣṭuṁ) - to nourish, to maintain, to support

• रक्षितुं (rakṣituṁ) - to protect, to guard

• वा (vā) - or

• अदृढात्मनः (adṛḍhātmanaḥ) - of one with an unsteady mind/self, of a weak-minded person

Words meanings and morphology

स्वयम् (svayam) - oneself, by oneself

(indeclinable)

मृत्पिण्डभूतस्य (mṛtpiṇḍabhūtasya) - of one who has become a lump of clay, of a mortal being

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of mṛtpiṇḍabhūta

mṛtpiṇḍabhūta - become a lump of clay, mortal, inert

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (mṛtpiṇḍa+bhūta)

• mṛtpiṇḍa – lump of clay, clod of earth
  noun (masculine)
• bhūta – become, been, past, existing, a being
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  derived from root 'bhū' (to be, become)
  Root: bhū (class 1)

Note: Refers to a person's mortal nature.

परतन्त्रस्य (paratantrasya) - of one who is dependent on others, of a dependent person

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of paratantra

paratantra - dependent on others, not free, subordinate

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (para+tantra)

• para – other, another, supreme
  adjective
• tantra – thread, system, doctrine, rule, master
  noun (neuter)

सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always, at all times

(indeclinable)

adverbial affix -dā

कः (kaḥ) - who, what

(pronoun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kim

kim - what, which, who

Note: interrogative pronoun

हेतुः (hetuḥ) - reason, cause, motive, purpose

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of hetu

hetu - cause, reason, motive, purpose

स्वजनं (svajanaṁ) - one's own people, relatives

(noun)

Accusative, masculine, singular of svajana

svajana - one's own people, relatives, kinsfolk

Compound type : tatpuruṣa (sva+jana)

• sva – one's own
  adjective
• jana – person, people, man
  noun (masculine)

पोष्टुं (poṣṭuṁ) - to nourish, to maintain, to support

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

derived from root 'puṣ'

Root: puṣ (class 4)

Note: infinitive of purpose

रक्षितुं (rakṣituṁ) - to protect, to guard

(indeclinable)

Infinitive

derived from root 'rakṣ'

Root: rakṣ (class 1)

Note: infinitive of purpose

वा (vā) - or

(indeclinable)

Note: conjunction

अदृढात्मनः (adṛḍhātmanaḥ) - of one with an unsteady mind/self, of a weak-minded person

(adjective)

Genitive, masculine, singular of adṛḍhātman

adṛḍhātman - unsteady-minded, weak-minded

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (a+dṛḍha+ātman)

• a – not, non-
  indeclinable
• dṛḍha – firm, strong, steady
  adjective (masculine)
  Past Passive Participle
  derived from root 'dṛh'
  Root: dṛh (class 1)
• ātman – self, soul, spirit, individual soul (ātman)
  noun (masculine)